1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a developer container that stores a developer used for electrophotographic image formation.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 38A and 38B are views illustrating a first related art toner bottle 1. FIG. 38A is a cross section view of the toner bottle 1. FIG. 38B is a perspective view of the toner bottle 1. The toner bottle 1 is formed into a cylindrical shape whose both ends are closed, and has an opening portion 3 formed on one end wall 2 so that a diameter thereof is smaller than a diameter of the cylindrical main body. Part of an inner face of a shoulder portion of an end face 4 on which the opening-portion 3 is formed is made to project from the inner face of the shoulder portion to an edge of the opening portion 3, whereby a projecting portion 5 for lifting toner is formed. An inner face of a periphery wall of the bottle connected to the projecting portion 5 in a circumferential direction is made to project from the edge of the opening portion 3 toward a rotation center line L1 of the bottle, whereby an in-opening projecting portion 6 is formed.
The toner bottle 1 is placed almost horizontally on a bottle holder of a toner supplying device in a state where the opening portion 3 faces sideways, and the toner bottle rotates in this state, thereby lifting toner existing in a lower part of the cylindrical main body to the opening portion 3 and discharging it (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 7-20705 (1995)).
FIG. 39 is a perspective view illustrating a second related art developer supplying container 10. The developer supplying container 10 is formed into a cylindrical shape whose both ends are closed, and has a storing space for storing toner. The developer supplying container 10 has a first projection piece 13 that protrudes inwardly in a radial direction and extends helically about an axial line L10 from an axial one end portion 11 toward an axial center portion 12, and a second projection piece 15 that protrudes inwardly in the radial direction and extends helically about the axial line L10 from an axial other end portion 14 toward the axial center portion 12. On the axial center portion 12 of the developer supplying container 10 is formed a through hole 16 that passes through in the radial direction to make the storing space communicate with a space outside the developer supplying container 10.
The developer supplying container 10 is coupled to an image forming apparatus main body that is not illustrated so that the axial line L10 becomes parallel to a horizontal direction and the axial center portion 12 faces a toner supply opening disposed to the image forming apparatus main body so as to be open upwardly. In this state, the developer supplying container 10 is rotated about the axial line L10 by a driving force from a driving section disposed to the image forming apparatus main body. Consequently, the toner stored in the storing space of the developer supplying container 10 is carried to the axial center portion 12 by the respective projection pieces 13 and 15. When the through hole 16 reaches a position facing the toner supply opening, the toner is supplied to the toner supply opening via the through hole 16 (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 8-339115 (1996)).
FIGS. 40A and 40B are perspective views for describing a third related art toner supplying device. FIG. 40A is a perspective view illustrating a toner cartridge 20 of the toner supplying device. FIG. 40B is an exploded perspective view illustrating a toner cartridge holding portion 21 of the toner supplying device. The toner supplying device has the toner cartridge 20 having a cylindrical shape whose both ends are sealed, and the toner cartridge holding portion 21 that holds the toner cartridge. The toner cartridge 20 is composed of a cylindrical container 22 and a gear 24 disposed to one end of the cylindrical container 22, and holds toner inside the cylindrical container 22.
On a cylindrical surface of the cylindrical container 22 is formed an opening 23 for discharging the toner held inside the cylindrical container 22. The toner cartridge holding portion 21 has a cylindrical shape, and has a toner falling hole 25 formed on a bottom portion of a cylindrical surface thereof and a driving gear 26 for rotating the toner cartridge 20 as an electrophotographic recording apparatus performs a recording operation. The toner cartridge 20 is axially supported so as to be rotatable in the toner cartridge holding portion 21.
A driving mechanism of the toner cartridge holding portion 21 is driven by a driving source of an electrophotographic recording apparatus main body, and a driving force thereof is transmitted to the gear 24 of the toner cartridge 20, whereby the toner cartridge 20 rotates about a cylindrical shaft c in the toner cartridge holding portion 21. Since the toner cartridge 20 rotates in the toner cartridge holding portion 21, the toner held in the toner cartridge 20 is conveyed to the opening 23 of the toner cartridge 20. When the opening 23 fits the toner falling hole 25 formed on the bottom portion of the cylindrical surface of the toner cartridge holding portion 21, and a hole where the toner falls is formed, the toner is supplied to a developing device through the opening 23 and the toner falling hole 25 (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 6-348127 (1994)).
In the configuration of the toner bottle 1 disclosed in JP-A 7-20705, when the toner bottle 1 is nearly full of toner, the toner level is located above the opening portion 3. Therefore, there is a case where the toner flows out from the opening portion 3 and the toner is excessively supplied to the toner supplying device. On the contrary, when the fill quantity of the toner is small, the upper face of the toner is located below the opening portion. Therefore, the quantity of the toner lifted by the in-opening projecting portion 6 is small, so that the quantity of the discharged toner is small. Thus, with the configuration of the toner bottle 1, the quantity of the discharged toner varies depending on the fill quantity of the toner. Since there is a need to change the number of rotations of the toner bottle 1 depending on the fill quantity of the toner, there is a problem that it is difficult to regulate the quantity supplied and it is impossible to keep the quantity of the discharged toner constant.
With the configurations of the developer supplying container 10 disclosed in JP-A 8-339115 and the toner supplying device disclosed in JP-A 6-348127, toner is discharged when the through hole 16 and the opening 23 are located below the upper face of the toner. However, each of the configurations has a problem that when the container stops in a state where the through hole 16 or the opening 23 is located below the upper face of the toner, the toner inside the container flows out in large quantities, which leads to a problem that it is impossible to keep the quantity of the discharged toner constant.